Ultrasonic cutting blade with cooling liquid conduction

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to an ultrasonic tool. More particularly, this invention relates to an ultrasonic cutting blade. The blade is particularly useful in a surgical application to cut tissue such as cartilage and bone. The present invention is also directed in part to an associated surgical method.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of orthopedics, the cutting of living bone is a prerequisite for many procedures. Such procedures include the reconstruction of damaged tissue structures due to accidents, the grafting of healthy bone into areas damaged by disease, or the correction of congenital facial abnormalities like a receding chin line. Over several centuries, these tasks were performed through the utilization of devices called bone saws.

Traditional bone saws are categorized into several basic categories. Hand powered saws or drills are just that, hand held devices which require the operator to move the device in a fashion similar to that used for carpentry tools. Powered devices, whether electric or pneumatic, are of either the reciprocating or rotary type. The reciprocating devices use a flat, sword like blade where the back and forth motion is provided by a motor instead of the hand. The rotary devices use a rotating motor to spin a drill bit or a blade that has teeth arranged around its circumference similar to a table saw blade. All of these traditional bone saws are used today in medical procedures around the world.

While traditional saws are functional, they have many disadvantages. With either the band or reciprocating saws, for instance, it is not easy to initiate and direct a cut. A cut must start from an edge or, alternatively, a starting hole must be used. To create a starting hole, a drill or similar instrument is operated to bore into the bone. Subsequently, a cutting blade is inserted into the bored hole. The user can then proceed to cut. Alternatively, a rotary type blade may be used. However, when a rotary blade is used, the cut must follow a relatively straight path to prevent the blade from binding in the cut. With all blades the ability to create a curved or compound angle cut is extremely limited by the blade chosen. The relatively thick blades have a wide kerf, so that a significant thickness of the viable bone is lost in the cutting procedure. Physicians would like this width to be as thin as possible in most procedures where reconstruction is necessary.

Above all, the relatively slow linear or tangential speeds of conventional bone saw blades coupled with the teeth necessary for cutting result in high frictional losses, which becomes manifested as heat. Heat will cause necrosis of the tissue if the bone temperatures reach 47° C. for more than a few seconds. When tissue necroses, the bone recedes after the surgery as the necrotic bone is overgrown. During such natural post-surgical tissue developments, the thickness of the cuts in the bone actually increases. The bone rescission process must be complete before healing can begin. To prevent the shortening of the length of the bone, metal plates and screws are used to fix the bone fragments in proper position. All of these factors obviously lead to increased operative time, and more importantly, to dramatically increased healing time, since the bone must knit across a greater span. Some studies have shown the strength of the bone to be effected negatively as well

When an upper or lower jaw is to be cut in elective surgery, the heating effect of traditional saws requires even more extraordinary intervention to prevent damage. Cutting the jaw between the teeth will cause loss of teeth if the bone is damaged or does not heal quickly. To prevent the tooth loss, the teeth must be spread apart preoperatively; sometimes forcing the patient to wear braces for up to 6 months before the operation can take place. In these cases, the costs and patient discomfort increases dramatically.

To limit the tissue temperature rise in an attempt to reduce necrosis, some traditional surgical saws provide cooling liquid to the surgical site. See, for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,720 to Brinckmann et al. These devices typically introduce coolant into spaces between segments on the cutting edge or rely on spray methods to flood the cutting site with fluid. Another technique employed by clinicians is to make very light cuts and increase the time between passes of the tool. Coupled with irrigation of the area, bone temperature rise is reduced measurably. Of course, this technique increases operative time and clinician fatigue.

Several researchers have proposed the use of ultrasonic tools for bone separation. The use of ultrasonic surgical instruments for cutting through various tissues is well known. While these devices are superior to the traditional saws in several aspects such as reduced kerf size, reduced noise, and superior ability for making complex geometric cuts, the temperature rise in bone due to frictional heating at the blade/tissue interface is still a significant problem. The problem is exacerbated with the use of ultrasonics due to the rapid motion involved as compared to that of traditional reciprocating saws. Some designers have tried to reduce heating by modifying the cross-section of the cutting blade. U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,102 to Idernoto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,952 to Loschilov, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,922 to Hood all show designs for cutting which have modified cross sections to reduce frictional heating.

Several ultrasonic devices have provided cooling to the cutting blade with varied degrees of success. U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,790 to Alperovich et al. shows a design for a cryogenically cooled scalpel blade. However, this design may actually damage viable tissue by freezing. In addition, this design does not provide any coolant to surrounding tissue not in direct contact with the blade.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,205,817, 5,188,102, and 4,832,683 all to Idemoto show examples of ultrasonic instruments with provisions for fluid cooling. These instruments, however, either do not provide optimal coolant flow where it is needed, mainly at the cutting portion of the blade, or for ones that do provide coolant at the tip, they interrupt the cutting edge with holes for the coolant. An interrupted, uneven cutting edge hinders manipulation and makes it difficult to guide the blade on the bone surface.

One phenomenon associated with ultrasonic tooling which acts to hinder the beneficial effects of irrigating the operative site is ultrasonic atomization. When an ultrasonically vibrating body is brought into contact with fluid, that fluid is broken into small droplets, which have a size inversely proportional to the frequency of vibration. In other words, the higher the frequency, the smaller and more mobile the liquid drop. Droplets created by ultrasonic vibrations can be very small in size, with some being less than 1 micron in diameter. This phenomenon is well known to the art. In fact, many devices intended to atomize liquid, such as room humidifiers, medical nebulizers, and industrial spray nozzle are based upon this principle. In the operating theater, however, the presence of nebulized particles is not appreciated, since these particles may contain viral or bacterial agents. Also, some of the fluid will be atomized before reaching the operative site, reducing the cooling efficiency. An effective way to insure the liquid transport is needed.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,371 discloses an ultrasonic surgical blade with cooling, which has a blade body with a smooth continuous cutting edge and a shank connected at one end to the blade body and operatively connectable at an opposite end to a source of ultrasonic vibrations. The shank is provided with an axially extending bore for the conveyance of cooling fluid to the cutting edge, while the blade body is provided with an axially extending through-slot communicating at one end with the bore. The blade body is preferably provided at an end opposite the shank with a recess communicating, with the bore for distributing fluid from the slot towards the cutting edge. The recess may have a configuration that parallels at least a portion of the cutting edge. Where the cutting edge is circular and the blade body has a planar surface between the fluid distribution guide surface and the cutting edge, for instance, the recess has a fluid distribution surface inclined with respect to the planar blade surface and extending along a circular arc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention aims to provide an improved ultrasonic tool or probe which has an improved cooling capability. An ultrasonic tool or probe in accordance with the invention may particularly take the form of ultrasonic cutting blade which allows thin kerf cuts, does not require predrilled holes for cutting, allows complex geometric cuts, has a continuous cutting surface, and provides for liquid irrigation at primarily the blade/tissue interface. More specifically, the present invention pertains to an ultrasonically vibrated cutting blade with an improved provision for delivery of a cooling medium for reducing and limiting thermal damage to living tissue. The present invention specifically targets the application of cutting viable bones in surgery, although the device is not exclusive to this application.

An ultrasonic surgical tool in accordance with the present invention comprises a probe body that has an operative surface or edge contactable with organic tissues for performing a surgical operation on the tissues. The tool further comprising a shank connected to a proximal end of the probe body and provided at an end opposite the blade body with a connector for operatively attaching the tool to a source of ultrasonic mechanical vibrational energy. The shank and a portion of the probe body are formed with a channel for fluid delivery to the probe body. At least a portion of the probe body located between the channel and the operative surface or edge has a microporous structure enabling fluid penetration to the operative surface or edge from the channel.

The channel may include a main section extending longitudinally along the probe body and at least one branch section extending at least partially transversely from the main section toward the operative surface or edge. The branch section of the channel extends only partway from the main section toward the operative surface or edge has a free end opposite the main section and spaced from the operative surface or edge.

Preferably, at least the portion of the probe body between the channel and the operative surface or edge is made of sintered material. The probe body may be made in its entirety of the sintered material.

The liquid infeed channel may include a plurality of branch sections each extending at least partially transversely from the main section of the channel toward the operative surface or edge of the probe body, each of the branch sections extending only partway from the main section toward the operative surface or edge, each of the branch sections having a respective free end opposite the main section and spaced from the operative surface or edge. The portions of the probe body between the ends of the various branch sections and an outer surface or edge of the probe body are preferably made of sintered material.

The probe body may take the form of a flattened or planar cutting blade having a pair of opposed major surfaces defined by a pair of opposed longitudinal edges and a distal edge of the blade, the operative surface or edge extending in part along one of the longitudinal edges and in part along the distal edge. The blade is made partially or wholly of sintered material to enable liquid conduction from the infeed channel to the outer surfaces and/or edges of the blade.

The microporous structure in an ultrasonic tool or probe in accordance with the present invention defines or enables a multiplicity of micropore pathways extending from the liquid infeed channel to the operative surface or edge, the probe body being devoid of other pathways for liquid flow from the channel to the operative surface or edge.

A surgical method in accordance with the present invention comprises providing an ultrasonic surgical tool having a probe body and a shank connected at a proximal end thereof, the probe body having an operative surface or edge, the shank and the probe body being formed with a channel, at least a portion of the probe body extending between the channel and the operative surface or edge having a microporous structure. The method further comprises operatively connecting a proximal end of the shank to a source of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations, operatively coupling the channel to a source of liquid, moving the probe body to a surgical site on a patient, and placing the operative surface or edge in contact with organic tissues at the surgical site. While the operative surface or edge is in contact with the organic tissues, ultrasonic mechanical vibrations are generated in the probe body, thereby ultrasonically vibrating the operative surface or edge. While the operative surface or edge is in contact with the organic tissues and during the generating of the ultrasonic mechanical vibrations in the probe body, one feeds liquid under pressure from the source of liquid into the channel and from the channel through multiple micropore pathways in the probe body to the operative surface or edge.

As indicated above, the probe body is devoid of other pathways for liquid flow from the channel to the operative surface or edge. Accordingly, a feeding of liquid under pressure from the source of liquid to the operative surface or edge of the probe body includes moving liquid along only the micropore pathways between the channel and the operative surface or edge.

The probe body may take the form of a flattened or planar cutting blade having a pair of opposed major surfaces defined by a pair of opposed longitudinal edges and a distal edge, the operative surface or edge extending in part along one of the longitudinal edges and in part along the distal edge. The method then further comprises cutting into the organic tissues by virtue of the generating of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations in the probe body and the ultrasonic vibrating of the operative surface or edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref> is a schematic side elevational view of an ultrasonic surgical tool, blade or probe in accordance with the present invention.

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref> is a top plan view of the ultrasonic surgical tool, blade or probe of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>, showing one configuration of a liquid-delivery channel in the tool, blade or probe.

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref> is a top plan view similar to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 2</figref>, showing another configuration of a liquid-delivery channel in the tool, blade or probe.

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> is a top plan view similar to <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 2 and 3</figref>, showing a further configuration of a liquid-delivery channel in the tool, blade or probe.

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref> is an enlarged view of a distal end portion of the ultrasonic surgical tool, blade or probe of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1 and 2</figref>, corresponding to the area marked V in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As depicted in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1 and 2</figref>, an ultrasonic surgical tool <b>10</b> comprises a probe body <b>12</b> that has an operative surface or edge <b>14</b> contactable with organic tissues OT for performing a surgical operation on the tissues. Tool <b>10</b> further comprises a shank <b>16</b> connected to a proximal end of probe body <b>12</b> and provided at an end opposite the probe body with a connector <b>18</b> for operatively attaching the tool to a source <b>20</b> of ultrasonic mechanical vibrational energy, for instance, a piezoelectric or magnetoconstrictive transducer in a handpiece <b>22</b>. Shank <b>16</b> and a portion of the probe body <b>12</b> are formed with a channel <b>24</b> for fluid delivery to the probe body. At least a portion <b>26</b> of the probe body located between channel <b>24</b> and operative surface or edge <b>14</b> has a microporous structure <b>28</b> (<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>) enabling fluid penetration to the operative surface or edge from the channel.

In the embodiment of <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1 and 2</figref>, channel <b>24</b> takes the form of a linear bore extending centrally through shank <b>16</b> and probe body <b>12</b>. However, as shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, a channel <b>24</b>′ in a blade or probe body <b>12</b>′ alternatively includes a main longitudinal section <b>30</b> extending longitudinally along probe body <b>12</b> and one or more auxiliary or branch sections <b>32</b> extending transversely or perpendicularly from main section <b>30</b> towards operative surfaces or edges <b>34</b> and <b>36</b> which are oriented longitudinally along probe body <b>12</b>′. Branch sections <b>32</b> of channel <b>24</b>′ extend only partway from main section <b>30</b> toward operative surfaces or edges <b>34</b> and <b>36</b> and have respective free ends <b>38</b> opposite main section <b>30</b> and spaced from the operative surfaces or edges <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>. In <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 3</figref>, blade or probe body <b>12</b>′ has a microporous structure (<b>28</b> in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>), preferably throughout but at least in the areas between the ends <b>38</b> of branch sections <b>32</b> and blade edges <b>34</b> and <b>36</b>, enabling fluid penetration to the operative surface or edge from the channel <b>24</b>′.

<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref> illustrates another version of channel <b>24</b>. As shown in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, a channel <b>24</b>″ alternatively includes a main longitudinal section <b>40</b> extending longitudinally along a blade or probe body <b>12</b>″ and one or more inclined or angled branch sections <b>42</b> extending partially transversely and partially longitudinally from main section <b>40</b> towards longitudinal operative surfaces or edges <b>44</b> and <b>46</b> of probe body <b>12</b>″. Branch sections <b>42</b> of channel <b>24</b>″ extend only partway from main section <b>40</b> toward operative surfaces or edges <b>44</b> and <b>46</b> and have respective free ends <b>48</b> opposite main section <b>40</b> and spaced from the operative surfaces or edges <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>.

In <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 4</figref>, blade or probe body <b>12</b>″ has a microporous structure (<b>28</b> in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>), preferably throughout but at least in the areas between the ends <b>48</b> of branch sections <b>42</b> and blade edges <b>44</b> and <b>46</b>, enabling fluid penetration to the operative surface or edge from the channel <b>24</b>″.

Those portions of blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ having a microporous structure may be made of sintered material. Blade or probe bodies <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ may be made in their entireties of sintered material.

Probe bodies <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ may be bone cutting blades having a flattened or planar geometry with a pair of opposed major surfaces <b>50</b> and <b>52</b> (<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>) defined in part by opposed longitudinal edges (e.g., edges <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>) and a distal edge (<b>14</b>, <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIGS. 1 and 2</figref>) of the blade. Blade or probe bodies <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ have an operative surface or edge extending in part along one or both of the longitudinal edges (<b>34</b>, <b>36</b>; <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>) and in part along the distal edge <b>14</b>. As discussed above, blade or probe bodies <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ are made partially or wholly of sintered material to enable liquid conduction from the infeed channel <b>24</b>, <b>24</b>′, <b>24</b>″ to the outer surfaces and/or edges of the blade.

As depicted in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>, the microporous structure <b>28</b> in an ultrasonic tool or probe <b>10</b> defines or enables a multiplicity of micropore pathways <b>54</b> extending from the liquid infeed channel <b>24</b>, <b>24</b>′, <b>24</b>″ to the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>, the probe body having only micropore pathways for liquid flow from channel <b>24</b>, <b>24</b>′, <b>24</b>″ to the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>.

In using an ultrasonic microporous surgical tool <b>10</b> in a surgical method, one connects shank <b>16</b> via connector <b>18</b> to source <b>20</b> of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations, operatively couples liquid infeed channel <b>24</b>, <b>24</b>′, <b>24</b>″ to a source <b>56</b> (<figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 1</figref>) of liquid, and moves the blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ to a surgical site OT in a patient. One then places an operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b> of the blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ in contact with the organic tissues OT at the surgical site. While the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b> is in contact with the organic tissues OT, vibration source or transducer <b>20</b> is operated to generate ultrasonic mechanical vibrations (generally a standing wave of a predetermined wavelength or frequency) in the blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″, thereby ultrasonically vibrating the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b> at the predetermined frequency. While the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b> is in contact with the organic tissues OT and during the generating of the ultrasonic mechanical vibrations in the blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″, one feeds liquid under pressure from the source <b>56</b> of liquid into the liquid infeed channel <b>24</b>, <b>24</b>′, <b>24</b>″and from the channel through multiple micropore pathways <b>54</b> in the blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ to the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>, as indicated by arrows <b>58</b> in <figref idref="DRAWINGS">FIG. 5</figref>.

Where the blade or probe body is a flattened or planar cutting blade, the method may entail cutting into the organic tissues OT by virtue of the generating of ultrasonic mechanical vibrations in the blade or probe body <b>12</b>, <b>12</b>′, <b>12</b>″ and the ultrasonic vibrating of the operative surface or edge <b>14</b>, <b>34</b>, <b>36</b>, <b>44</b>, <b>46</b>.

Although the invention has been described in terms of particular embodiments and applications, one of ordinary skill in the art, in light of this teaching, can generate additional embodiments and modifications without departing from the spirit of or exceeding the scope of the claimed invention. For instance, while the present invention find particular application in bone cutting blades, it pertains to virtually any ultrasonic instrument where a cooling liquid or a debris-entrainment liquid must be conveyed through the body of the tool to a surface thereof in contact with organic tissues or other target material. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the drawings and descriptions herein are proffered by way of example to facilitate comprehension of the invention and should not be construed to limit the scope thereof.